Hi All, It has been a while since my last post I know, so I am making up for lost time with a rather longish post about my recent adventure running in a relay for the Vermont City Marathon and Relay. I'd LOVE to hear your comments or stories of running adventures that you done so please leave a comment in the box below!
Soon I will post some great yoga stretches for runners so stay tuned. Better yet, comment and tell me what some of your favorite asanas are before and after running.
Peace Jean
Remember if you are interested in my DVD all about running to check out info here:
Jean's Yoga For Runners
OR
To Order the DVD click HERE
Soon I will post some great yoga stretches for runners so stay tuned. Better yet, comment and tell me what some of your favorite asanas are before and after running.
Peace Jean
The Closer
Yesterday I was in the Vermont City Marathon in a 5 person
relay for the first time ever! If you
had asked me a year ago if I would be participating in a marathon, I would have
probably laughed. “Not likely…” Running, I have told myself for a while is not
my thing. Our marathon leader Suzanne
assured me that it was a walking team and I could run if I wanted
to. Great, that gets me off the
hook. No pressure to run. Hello? I am going to be in a marathon! Everyone there is all about running! How the heck was that going to work? Oh well, I would just go with it. I had spent numerous days of my life at
running and skiing meets for my kids. I
like the energy at them so I figured this was probably going to be similar.
So a few weeks before the big day, I ramped up my walking to
4 – 6 mile walks around my neighborhood, at Mills River Park, and around
Jericho. I was feeling totally confident
that I could do my 5.5 mile leg of the relay.
Soon teams were created and running orders listed. I was the closer. I was the last person on the
walking team for 5 teams from Camels Hump Middle School. There were 3 adult teams, 2 running, 1
walking and 2 student running teams.
Yep, I was gonna be the last one in.
I had to have several conversations with myself about this. Was I a loser by default? What would that be like to come in dead last
for our school. It would probably have
its negative vibe for a while but I was going to really try and be present for
the moment and enjoy the ride. I
resigned myself to being happy at the end.
The day before the race, I started to feel an excitement in
my belly. People were posting things
online about getting ready, their thoughts and feelings. Betsy, who was running in one of the other
adult relays, dropped my bib and bag off at my house in the afternoon. I had #5075 on my bib! It even said in bold letters on the side LAST LEG. Everyone now would
know I was last. It was fun to get my
sneakers, socks, shirt, shorts and stuff together. Reality was kicking in. I was going to really do this.
Then came race day. I
had decided that since our team had a target goal of under 6 hours for the walking
relay that I would not be at the starting line since it would have me waiting
for my turn for many hours. The race
started at 8am. I got to the south side
of Burlington at 9am. Many streets were
closed and blocked off so I parked on Pine Street and walked about 7 – 8 blocked
to get to Battery Park. When I arrived,
there was super excitement in the air. The
race was going and you could look up at the streets around Pearl Street and see
packs of runners buzzing around the city streets like swarms of bees. The park was packed with spectators,
volunteers and runners. I hung out and
caught the vibe there for quite a while and took pictures of the runners. Then I decided to head out to Flynn School
where my relay would pick up from.
I hopped on a shuttle at North St and North Ave and the driver
took off down North Ave. I sat in front
of a lovely research scientist from UVM who was also doing a running leg of a
relay from Flynn School as well. We
became instant marathon buddies and chatted away about the race, running, dogs
and lots of other stuff! We got dropped off
at Flynn School for the long wait! I
wish that I had a time lapse camera to setup at this outpost of the
marathon. It was fascinating to watch
people come and go. I knew I was there
for the long haul so I just settled in and eventually other relay teammates began
to arrive and the excitement became even more high energy. The handicap bikers were the first racers to
pass by us, then some men individual runners and relay runners. The trickle of the fastest runners soon
turned into streetful of people moving in packs.
I waited with 2 teammates who had finished their legs for
what seemed like hours and finally it was my turn. I knew when Michelle and I passed the relay bracelet
that I was going to give running, even if it was a slow jog a good shot. It was just too exciting, even at the end of
the pack to not run!
My 5.5 mile trip began in the New North End Neighborhood
near the school. It was a hot sunny day
and I was blessed with tons of green shady trees in the first part of the
leg. Traveling thru neighborhoods just
made me smile as people hollered out word of encouragement. Things like “You’ve got this” “Great job”
“You are doing awesome” There was this marathon connection that the
whole city had turned up into high gear and it made me want to run fast and do
my very best.
As I rounded a really large loop in the neighborhood I found
myself at the entrance to the Burlington Bike Path with people cheering and
showing the way to go. It was so
beautiful! I looked out many times as I
traveled along the edge of Lake Champlain and soaked in the beauty of the Adirondack
Mountains and the water and breeze off the lake. What I loved was that there was a dirt (not
pavement) path that I could run on and it was so much more giving on my feet
than the hard pounding from the sidewalk pavement.
Nice people at the water stations holding out cups of water
and Gatorade where cheering and smiling as I jogged by the first of 5 water
stations on the last leg. I think they
want people hydrating as much as possible at that point in the race especially
the ones running the full marathon. The
sun would pop out from the trees along the way making it hotter but I was just
totally wrapped up in the running and people around that it did not matter and
just made me feel good.
North End Drummers
were stationed about ½ way down they bike path. They had a little sign set up and there was a
good size group of drummers just keeping a beat going for me as I passed by
them. I heard them for quite a ways
before I saw them and then their steady beat followed behind me for quite some
time. They were all smiles as I passed
alone on the path. We waved and I kept
by slow jog in motion.
As I ran I thought about Mariano Rivera who is the closer
for the New York Yankees. I love
watching him clean up the end of a game and then was when I realized that I
wasn’t a loser, I was a closer just like him.
Doing my best and getting into the zone on something I never thought I
would do! I was also observing how my
energy had changed as I approached about ½ way through my run. I wasn’t as enthusiastic as when I started
but I was still feeling good. I was
watching the runners in front and in back of me, some slowing to a walk and
then picking up the pace and running again.
I found that was hard. Once I
started walking I had to really push myself to get back in to the jog I had
been doing. But once I was on a roll, I was
able to stay running for longer than I expected I could.
I passed Leddy Park and North Beach and soon before I knew
it I could see the Sailing Center and Coast Guard station in Burlington. Spectators
began to yell “You’re almost there!” “The
chute is just up ahead!” The chute is
the entrance to the end of the race which is bright orange fencing which leads
you to the finish line.
The CHMS Cheerleaders (everyone that was still hanging
around waiting for me to finish!)at the beer tent all jumped out of their seats
and hollered at me as I went by. I made
me laugh out loud as I looked at all their happy faces! Little did I realize I still had a bit
further to run to the actual finish line so I kept going in what seemed like a
long way until finally I ran across the line.
People were cheering and I saw and smiled at other folks I knew. What a relief!
The beer tent crew found me and we all chattered for a bit
about how great the whole experience was.
Michelle told me my time was about 1 hour and 15 minutes which felt
great to me! A few of us walked back to
the Hilton Hotel to find our car. We
wandered around in a bit of after marathon haze trying to find a bathroom and Michelle’s
car. At last we hopped in and I
sat. Ahhhhhhhh! I have found peace at the end. I like being the closer!
Remember if you are interested in my DVD all about running to check out info here:
Jean's Yoga For Runners
OR
To Order the DVD click HERE